3 product regulator, low pressure.

[Dale Gauthier]

Hi all,

So have a question for you kegging experts out there. I’m running a 5 lb Co2 tank with regulator that serves as a master and that feeds a 3 product regulator. The 3 prod reg has individual gauges allowing me to run independent pressures to each of my 3 kegs. With all that said, I set it all up today and thought everything was good but the pressure out the tap for ONLY the middle regulator is super low.

Even when I turn that regulators pressure up high to 20psi or so, still a slow trickle out of the tap. The other two regulators are pushing beer fine at 12psi. I’ve bled the Co2 from the keg hooked to #2 and recharged it multiple times.

Scratching my head on this one. Why would only one of the 3 regulators not flow beer well even when its regulator is set at 12 psi or better. Doesn’t make sense....

Thx!

 

[d3track]

plugged dip tube?

 

[Dale Gauthier]

plugged dip tube?

Hmmm that certainly would make sense. Maybe I’ll pull it to see!! Thanks!

 

[Dale Gauthier]

Not a plugged dip tube. Just checked and blew it out. The strangest thing! Grrrrrr.

 

[day_trippr]

Have you swapped the gas lines between one of the "good" kegs and the "bad" keg?
If the pressure gauges on all three regulators appear rational I'd bet the problem isn't the regulators...

Cheers!

 

[Dale Gauthier]

I did try that last night and unfortunately it was still very low pressure at the tap.

However I’m waking up this morning and decided to give each tap a pull to see how they were flowing and all three were barely trickling out. I tasted each and sure enough they were partially flat. It’s as if they aren’t getting all the Co2 I’m sending them from the tank.

Tank has plenty of Co2, the master regulator connected to the tank seems to be fine, even the Co2 lines themselves are tight as if there’s Co2 in the lines.

I’ve set the master regulator at 30psi and I figured I’d regulate each keg down at its own regulator. Man, I’m out of ideas unless it’s just a bad 3 prod regulator.... dunno (sigh) pic attached and I bought what I thought was a quality one to eliminate problems.

 

[Dale Gauthier]

May have figured it out. I bled all three kegs and all the lines. Seems to be pressurizing the kegs now but I’m having to run the pressures up a little higher than what I used to with just a one or two keg set up.
Strange stuff but I’m still learning!

 

[Vale71]

Have you swapped the gas lines between one of the "good" kegs and the "bad" keg?
If the pressure gauges on all three regulators appear rational I'd bet the problem isn't the regulators...

Cheers!

Well, since it's basically three regulators daisy-chained together the problem could be just one defective regulator. It could even be just the pressure gauge in the one regulator that's misbehaving that's out of calibration and is reporting a much higher pressure than what the regulator is actually delivering. If possible I'd check each regulator against a known reliable pressure gauge to rule out any issue with calibration.

 

[day_trippr]

Still suspect this is not a regulator problem...

 

[Dale Gauthier]

Thx for all the input. It seems to be better now after I bled everything down and started over. I’m still not crazy about the Kegco 3 product regulator though. The dials for the independent pressures are not as smooth as I had hoped. Sometimes I have to use a rubber grip (the kind you open a pickle jar with) to turn the knobs but it’s working. I had hoped by purchasing a higher end product I would have been happier but it’s just ok. Thx again! Now to fix my foaming issues but that is another thread and more research- lol